The present invention is directed to improvements in hand tools. More particularly, the present invention is directed to an auxiliary handle which can be attached to a snow shovel, a garden shovel, a coal shovel or a rake to facilitate lifting of the load, transferring the load to an alternate location and dumping it.
The use of hand tools for moving loads such as snow, earth, and the like, can require extreme physical exertion. The use of these devices frequently involves repeated stooping, bending and lifting which can aggravate back muscles, as well as other muscle groups. The use of conventional shovels invites improper lifting with the back rather than use of the legs and arms.
A number of previous patents have attempted to address this problem by the addition of an auxiliary handle for assisting in the movement of the load. One such device is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,582 issued to Rocha. Rocha teaches the use of such an auxiliary handle which has a first end with a grip and a second end attached to a bushing which is captured between two pins which extend through the primary handle. One problem with the Rocha design is that it uses a "one size fits all" approach. In reality, each user is a different height with a different reach. One size does not fit all so the best the tool designer can do is to design the auxiliary handle to be usable by the "average" user and varying degrees of uncomfortable for anyone not falling in the "average user" category.
It is the purpose of the present invention to provide an auxiliary handle assembly which can be attached to snow shovels, coal shovels, garden shovels and rakes which will facilitate the lifting and dumping of loads and lead to improved posture involving use of arm and leg muscles rather than one's back. The secondary handle of the present invention is attached to the primary handle using a cylindrical sleeve which may be mounted on the primary handle adjacent one end thereof, said cylindrical sleeve having a helical groove formed on an external surface portion thereof. An adjustment nut encircles the cylindrical sleeve and a second opposite end of said secondary handle is attached thereto. Rotation of the primary handle and sleeve relative to the secondary handle and the adjustment nut results in longitudinal adjustment of a connection point between the secondary handle and the primary handle up and down the primary handle. This will be a relatively small distance during normal use of the tool equipped with the auxiliary attachment. The distance the sleeve could vary the connection point will depend on the length of the sleeve but, as an example, the sleeve could permit movement of the lifting point over a 10-12 inch length. This will accommodate different sized users and provide the optimum leverage for each user.
A clamp which is integral with the grip of the auxiliary handle allows the auxiliary handle to be secured to the primary handle during storage of the tool. A camming nut is used to secure the auxiliary handle to the adjustment nut, the insertion of the primary handle through the adjustment nut preventing the auxiliary handle being rotated to a position where it could be disengaged from the camming nut.
Various other features, advantages and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after a reading of the following specification.